FROM 1800, 25 FEB 45 TO 1800, 26 FEB 45 (D PLUS 7) (a) AT 2158 a dispatch was received that the 4th Division Rear CP was closing on the USS BAYFIELD at 2200. Personnel and equipment landed in LSM 238. (b) Activity during the night was relatively quiet. A small enemy patrol in front of BLT 3/24 attempted infiltration, but al were either killed or dispersed. Teh Division zone was shelled sporadically during the night by rockets, mortars, and artillery. (c) Normal night missions were fired b CTF 54 with large areas neutralization effected by mortar boat units. (d) Information was received at 0530 that a B-24 strike had been ordered to hit TA 218 BCDHI at about 1500. (e) No night air observers were on station. (f) After a coordinated VAC LANFOR-Division-Naval Gunfire preparation from King minus 45 to King-hour, the Division continued the attack at King-hour, 0800, in accordance with VAC LANFOR Order No. 6-45. Objective - O-2; boundaries - see map, Progress of Attack; Line of Departure- front lines at King-hour. (g) RCT 23, with BLT 1/23 on the left and BLT 3/23 on the right, continued the attack at 0800 as scheduled. The advance was slow and difficult. Enemy resistance consisted of heavy small arms, and mortar fire from well emplaced, well dug-in pillboxes and blockhouses. A general advance of about 300 yards was made along the front, which placed the RCT in position on the southwest slopes of the vital Hill 382 (TA 200 Y), thus partially neutralizing the effect of this point to the enemy. Orders were issued to the RCT to consolidate at 1700, but at 1800 it was still actively engaged with the enemy. The RCT reserve was employed in mopping up the RCT rear area. Sniper hit in the CP and in TA 183 U, indicating that there was still some of the enemy in that area. (h) RCT 25, with BLT 3/24 attached, started relieving RCT 24 at 0530. AT 0830 the RCT attacked with three battalions abreast, from left to right, 1/25, 2/25, 3/25, with 3/24 in RCT reserve. The delay in launching the attack was occasioned by the time involved in effecting the return of BLT 2/25 to RCT control, reorganization, and movement to the line of departure. Progress was slow and difficult along the entire front because of the extremely difficult terrain and stiff enemy resistance employing small arms, machine guns, and mortars fired from well prepared and camouflaged positions. The RCT considered that it was not feasible to by-pass positions and cleaned them up as units advanced. An advance was made on the right, of about 75 yards. The RCT reserve was employed in moping up the RCT rear area. Company "A", 2d Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion, was assigned to direct support of this RCT for possible employment along the coast line. Orders were issued to the RCT to consolidate at 1700, paying particular attention to the left flank, and to be prepared to continue the attack the next day. (i) RCT 24, less BLT 3/24, upon being relieved by RCT 25, assembled in Division Reserve in the vicinity of TA's 165 EJO and 166 A. The RCT located a cave in TA 183 W which extended underground for over 400 yards and contained about 200 Japanese dead. Investigation of this tunnel continued. (j) 14th Marines. At 0700 1/14 reverted to Division control. 1/14 was in direct support of RCT 25, 2/14 in direct support of RCT 23, 3/14 reinforced 1/14, and 4/14 was in general support of the attack for the period. In addition to the preparation fire at King-hour, another fifteen minute preparation was fired for RCT 23 at 1430. The regiment continued counter-battery and call fires. Flash teams on SURIBACHI and sound ranging teams in Regimental Area continued to furnish valuable intelligence for counter-battery fires. (k) 4th Tank Battalion. Company "A" was attached to RCT 25 and Company "C" to RCT 23. Tank activity in the vicinity of the Radio Weather Station in TA 200 resulted in the destruction of two tanks and damaging one tank by land mines on the taxiway of Airfield No. 2. At the end of the period, 32 tanks were operational. (l) 2d Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion. All elements reverted to parent control at 0600. Company "A" was assigned direct support of RCT 25. (m) Aviation. CTF 52.2 continued to furnish support aviation but the number of aircraft on station was insufficient to carry out requests for missions. Planes on call were available for pre-King-hour strikes. Land based aircraft missions were cancelled because weather conditions were unfavorable. Artillery and Naval Gunfire Air Spot missions by VO and VS continued throughout the day when weather permitted. Two planes of VMO-4 landed at 1025 and furnished artillery air spot during the afternoon. VMO-4 was out of gasoline before the end of the period. Division day air observers did not operate. At 0800, 1500 x 100 feet of runway on Airfield No. 1 was operational and available for use. (n) Naval Gunfire. CTF 54 continued to support the attack with normal and on call missions. (o) 4th Engineer Battalion. During the period construction was expedited on road in the beach area. On level stretches roads were operative for all traffic, but on grades they were still difficult. The matting of grades progressed satisfactorily, however, and by the end of the period the project was 90% completed. Five (5) distillation units were operational in TA 149 C and turned out 3,500 gallons of water for the period. Fifteen (15) units were ashore by 1800. Units deactivated and removed five (5) JLXVC single-horned and two (2) JLXIII two-horned Japanese land mines from TA 149 C, and neutralized two (2) depth charges armed with improvised fuzes in TA 166 E. Excavation for a Division Hospital was started in TA 165 KL. (p) Combat Efficiency was reduced by casualties and battle fatigue to an estimated 53%. (q) The area of the operations for the period was still in the enemy defensive organization encountered during the preceding day. Gains were secured by a methodical pillbox-to-pillbox advance. The Division prepared to continue the attack at the end of the period. (r) Weather and Visibility. Weather fair, visibility good until 1300, when it was reduced by rain. Ceiling low and overcast 6/10 to 10/10.